Educational



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. 1:". E. MEYERS.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE. No. 421,956. Patented Peb.25,1890.

M M BY Mg ATTORNEY N PETERS Phoio-Lflhographor. Washington, \IC.

(No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 2. F. E. MEYE'RS.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE. No. 421,956.- Patented Feb.25,1890.

ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

P.'E. MEYERS.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANOE.

Patented Feb.25, 1890.

W/T/V 8858. 0206 Jew-o4 Mi Mi By M ATTORNEY N. PETKRS, FhoXo'Lnnogmphur,Washington. D. C.

4 Sheets Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

F. E. MEYERS. EDUGATIONAL APPLIANCE.

Patented Peb.25, 1890.

H lllllmlm innun-nnlu llnliuli in. 1

ATTORNEY r4. PETERS, PhMLH-ithagrapfiwr, wmn um ac.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN E. MEYERS, OF GARRETT, PENNSYLVANIA.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,956, dated February25, 1890.

Application filed May 14, 1889. Serial No. 310,789. (No model) To (0whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN E. MEYERS, of Garrett, in the county ofSomerset and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Educational Appliances, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an improvement in educational appliances, beingpractically a movable figure arithmetical chart, seeking to provide anovel construction by which to facilitate the teaching of addition, andseeks, among other objects, to provide a simple construction, which willbe convenient in use, can be easily set up and taken down, and when downcan be packed in a small space for storage or for transportation fromplace to place.

The invention has for further objects other improvements; and itconsists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, aswill be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a part of the apparatus,showing the figured board and the standards thereof Fig. 2 is a rearview of the appliance, the board being only partly figured. Fig. 3 is afront View of the appliance with the curtain drawn across the figuredboard. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the upper end of one of the mainframestandards. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the appliance, some ofthe slats being removed and some being shown out and others movedpartially out; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the lower end of one ofthe main frame-standards.

I11 carrying out my invention 1 provide a frame and a number of figuredstrips or slats supported in such frame one below the other, and havingtheir figures so arranged that the figures of one slat may be broughtsuccessively in vertical rows with the figures of the several otherslats, so as to vary the figures for addition. Each of the slats, aswill be seen, is movable its entire length, so that all the figures ofeach slat may be brought into register with all those of the otherslats.

In more specifically describing the frame it may be said to havestandards A A, having feet or base-pieces A and formed with verticalslot-like ways a, for the slats B. These standards are preferably formedwith pinholes a/ for the pins 0, which hold the slats to the standards.Such standards A A may be termed the main standards, and I also providea supplemental or lateral standard A which is similar in construction tosuch main standards, and is used for the purpose more fully describedhereinafter.

The slats B, of which any suitable number may be used, but of which Iprefer to use seventy-two, ('72,) as shown, are by preference eachdivided into sixty spaces equal in size, afigure being provided in eachspace, such figures being disposed in a particular manner, as will bedescribed. These slats or strips have near their ends openings 1) forthe fastening-pins O. The slats so secured in the standards A formtherewith practically a parallel-ruler-like construction, and to bracethe said construction rigidly in position with the standards A andvertical,as is desired in use, I provide braces D, crossing each other,in

rear of the slats B and fitted at their ends removably in sockets d,formed or provided on standards A, near the upper and lower ends of thesame, the parts D thus forming strutbraces. These brace-bars D areusually made of wood and are sufficiently elastic to so bend as to enterat their ends the sockets dand to be readily removed when it is desiredto take down the apparatus.

As the apparatus is for teaching addition,

I omit ciphers from the slats B and arrange the figures on the severalslats, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that I begin with 1 at theupper right-hand corner of the figureboard, then place 2 at the left of1, then number 3 diagonally below and to the right of said 2, then put 4at the left of said 2, and so on, the figures running in proper orderfrom 1 to 9, from left to right diagonally across the figure-boardformed by the slats. Now whenever in so numbering the slats it is foundthat the figure occurring in order is the same as that previously placedon the same slat to the right of the space to be figured the said figureis dropped and the next in order is placed in the space. For instance,if in numbering the slats it is found that a fig ure-say at-will occurnext to a 4 previously applied to the strip, the last 4. is skipped and5 is put in its place. The purpose of this is to prevent repetition inaddition by the ICO movement of such slat laterally, as it will be seenthat if the row with the first 4: be added up, and then such slat movedone space to the right, the same figure will be brought into the row tobe added and no new addition will result. I have found in practice thatthe described system of arranging or disposing the figures results inpreventing repetitions, and is much to be desired. It will be seen thatboth sides of the slats are figured, the figures on the one or firstside, as shown in Fig. 1, ending at the lower left-hand corner of thefigure-board, and following with the next figures in order, beginning atthe upper right-hand corner of the back of the slats, and thencontinuing as on the face, as will be seen from the drawings. When thefront or face of the slats has been exhausted in addition, the slats maybe reversed, bringing a different set of figures to the front. Now inadding, the first row at the right may be taken and added up, then thenext row, and so on until the pupil or classis familiar with theadditions experienced in all the rows. Then the lowest slat may be movedone step to the right, which changes the addition in all the firstfifty-nine rows, counting from the left. Then from time to time the saidlowest slat may be moved a single space to the right until it reachesthe right main standard A. Then the next upper slat is similarly moved,and so on. To support the slats as they are so moved, I provide what maybe termec carrienbars E, which are movable laterally, so as to supportthe slats.

It will be seen that I provide one of the carriers E between thestandards A and one to the right of the said standards, bot-l1 such barsbeing provided with holes to receive the pins 0, and being arranged toslide on rods F,

extended horizontally across and beyond the main frame at the bottom andtop thereof, such rods F being preferably passed through eyes oropenings 9 in plates G, attached to said frame and suitably secured, andalso passed through eyes g 011 standard A and secured, the rod beingsecured by pins G or in other suitable manner.

It Will be seen that the slats, when released from standards A, aresecured by the pins 0 to the carrienbars, and are carried therebyoutward until their outer ends reach the standard A when they may besecured at one end to the said standard A and at their other ends to thestandard A next the said. standard A when the carrier-bars may be movedback to bring out another slat, and so on un til all the slats arebrought out. The sliderods F and the carrienbars, it will be seen, canbe readily detached and packed with the other parts in quite a smallspace.

The curtain H is arranged to be adjusted to expose any desired number ofrows of figures, and is preferably supported on a roller, as shown.

It is obvious that by lengthening the slats or increasing the number ofthe slats the 11 unrber of combinations may be increased; but

by the construction as shown, manipulated I claim as new is 1. In aneducational appliance, substantially as described, the combination, withthe framing, of figured slats supported thereby and adjustablelongitudinally for their full lengths, whereby the figures at one end ofeach of the slats may be brought successively into register with each ofthe figures on the other slats, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

2. In an educationalappliance, the combination of the mainframe-standards, the figured strips or slats connecting said standardsand detachably secured thereto, sockets bein g formed or provided on thestandards near the upper and lower ends thereof, and the strut-bracesfitted at their ends in said sockets and removable, all substantially asdescribed, whereby the apparatus may be conveniently taken apart fortransportation or storage, as and for the purposes specified.

3. In an educational appliance, substan tially as described, thecombination of the standards A, formed with vertical slats, the slats orstrips provided with figures and fitted at their ends in said slats, andpins passed through the standards and the said slats, substantially asset forth.

4. An improved educational appliance, sub stantially as described,provided with a series of independently-m0vable figured strips or slats,such figures being arranged or disposed in numerical order diagonallyacross the figured board formed by said strips, the figure at the top ofeach of said diagonal rows following in numerical order that at thebottom of the preceding row, substantially as set forth.

5. An improved educational appliance, substantially as described,comprising the frame, the supplemental standard arranged laterally tosaid frame, and the slats, such slats being disconnected from thesupplemental standard and movable longitudinally and independentlywithin the frame, whereby the said slats may be set out from the frameto the supplemental standard one by one or in any desired number,substantially as set forth.

6. In an educational appliance, the combination of the mainframe-standards slotted vertically and having pin-holes leading intosaid slots, sockets being formed or provided on the standards near theupper and lower ends thereof, and the sockets at the diagonally oppositecorners of the frame being arranged to open toward each other, the slatsIIO provided with figures and fitted at their ends in the slots of thestandards and having pinopenings arranged to coincide with those of thestandards, pins passed through said openframe having standards A, andprovided with eyes or openings g, and the supplemental standard A alsohaving eyes g, the figured slats, the upper and lower rodsF, supportedin said eyes g, the figured slats and the carrier-bars sliding on rods Fand adapted to support the figured slats as the latter are moved out tothe supplemental standard, substantially as set forth.

FRANKLIN E. MEYERS.

\Vitn esses:

S. J. MCKENZIE, WM. PRICE.

